Disparagement of electronic voting devices, used at Iraqi polling stations for the first time on Saturday, has become a common rallying cry to candidates and members of parties that got few votes in a country where there was already little faith in the national electoral system.

Despite the election setback, Abadi might still be granted a second term in office by parliament and on Monday he called on all political blocs to respect the results and suggested he was willing to work with Sadr to form a government.

Regardless of the end result, there appears set to be prolonged horse-trading between the principle political forces earlier than any new premier and a coalition authorities could be put in.

Only 44.52 percent of about 24 million people eligible to vote participated in the consultation, a decrease of 15 percentage points, compared to 2014.

He announced Tuesday on state television that it was the responsibility of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to conduct the recount to determine accurate results, citing high-profile charges of vote tampering in the disputed province of Kirkuk.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani shows his ink-stained finger after casting his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Erbil.

Within the cleric's impoverished Sadr Metropolis neighbourhood in Baghdad residents mentioned they have been hoping for enhancements after the elections.

An Iraqi voter dips his finger in ink before casting his ballot at a poll station in the capital Baghdad's Karrada district.

Abadi - a consensus figure favoured by the USA - had been seen as likely frontrunner after declaring victory over the militants five months ago.

Iraqi security forces stand guard outside a polling station during the parliamentary election in the Sadr city district of Baghdad. Sadr has ruled himself out of becoming prime minister. Al-Maliki is considered the epitome of corruption that engulfed Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Influential Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr's group were declared the winners of the Iraqi election after votes in 16 of 18 provinces were tallied.

"Tension in Kirkuk is increasing, Arabs and Turkmens have taken to the streets their frustrations and to demonstrate for their rights", Mr Al Salehi told The National.

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